After the record high FTSE falls on Weir warning – London Report February 25, 2015 THE FTSE 100 yesterday retreated from the previous session’s record high, with engineer Weir Group leading the market lower after warning about a significant drop in its revenue in the current year. The blue chip index closed down 14.25 points, or 0.2 per cent at 6,935.38 points after setting a new record high of 6,958.89 [...]
Creativity makes a vast contribution to business: We ignore it at our peril February 25, 2015 The Academy Awards have become a (not especially accurate) measure of the UK’s cultural standing in the world. Thanks to Eddie and co, the Brits officially had a good Oscars, with four wins from nearly 40 nominations, but we need not obsess over the results of this dubious annual assessment. Our film stars are just [...]
Development Securities chief exec Michael Marx steps down February 24, 2015 Development Securities chief executive Michael Marx will be stepping down after 21 years, the company said yesterday, consoling shareholders with a £10m special dividend. The FTSE 250 property developer said that Marx, 65, will retire from the board at the annual general meeting in July. However, he will remain on the board as a non-executive [...]
Rediscover the art of conversation at work in easy steps February 22, 2015 Making an effort to build new relationships pays big dividends. How often do you walk into your office and it’s quiet enough to hear a pin drop? Are your colleagues constantly plugged into their headphones, heads down, and cracking through their to-do lists? Do you even know their names? While we all need space [...]
City watchdog in investment banking probe: What will the FCA do and who’s involved? February 19, 2015 Big investment banks may be too dominant in some areas of the industry, limiting competition and hurting companies and consumers, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) warned yesterday. Prices are not always transparent enough to allow firms to compare banks effectively, the FCA said. The watchdog has received complaints that shares in major deals are allocated to [...]
Why competence will always beat charisma at work February 19, 2015 In an age when soft skills are all that matter, Elena Shalneva still prefers ability and rigour. A headhunter calls about a job. It’s in Amsterdam, starts next month, requires fluent Dutch and pays about half of what I used to earn when I last worked in an office. The job is fairly basic, but [...]
Why the soft skills generation is an asset – ACCA Comment February 18, 2015 It’s easy to criticise the young for their lack of business savvy but we may be missing a trick. Our young people aren’t up to the job. They just don’t have what it takes.” It’s a familiar refrain, isn’t it? Hardly a day goes by without a high-profile business leader expressing grave concern that the [...]
Here’s everything we know about Tesco’s new chairman, John Allan February 17, 2015 After a four-month search, Tesco has finally revealed who will replace Sir Richard Broadbent as chairman. John Allan was chosen after “a deep and thorough process” to lead the supermarket's board as it attempts to recover from a wretched 2014. Allan, who commented that he was “very pleased to be taking on this role at such a [...]
Tesco appoints former Dixons Carphone deputy as new chairman February 17, 2015 Tesco has named John Allan as its next chairman following Richard Broadbent's decision to step down from the role. The beleaguered supermarket has turned to current Dixons Carphone deputy chairman Allan who will step into the role on 1 March. He will pay be paid a fixed salary of £650,000 for three years, inclusive of [...]
This job at Port Lockroy in Antarctica is the perfect way to escape it all… and it has penguins for company February 17, 2015 If you’ve ever fancied giving it all up, leaving the City and abandoning the trappings of technology for something a little simpler, this might just be the perfect job for you. Britain’s most remote post office is looking for new assistants. It might not sound exciting, but there is a twist – it happens [...]